Jul. 17, 2014
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John Adams, NCAA coordinator of officials. / NCAA

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

NCAA national coordinator of men's basketball officiating John Adams announced Thursday that he would retire at the end of the 2014-15 season. His retirement will be effective after the Final Four in April at Indianapolis.

A search for Adams' replacement will begin in the fall.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve college basketball in this capacity for the last several years," Adams said in a statement. "I have been involved in officiating for a long time, and I worked for the NCAA, the Horizon League, the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and the Indiana High School Athletic Association. All of those organizations are based on Indianapolis, so it just feels right to end this chapter at the Final Four in my hometown."

Adams assisted the Division I Men's Basketball Committee with the selection and evaluation of officials for the NCAA tournament. Additionally, he provided national leadership to officials, conference coordinators and regional advisers in a variety of ways. He refined the officials' evaluation form and created standards that are used for officials to be eligible to work the championship.

"I know I speak for countless people in the NCAA men's basketball community, including member conferences and institutions, head coaches, past and present committee members, our broadcast partners at CBS and Turner and college basketball fans everywhere, when expressing gratitude for everything John has done for the game," said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's vice president for men's basketball.

"John has led the national program effectively, resulting in more consistency and clarity in officiating across the country. His effort in teaching a national standard for officiating fouls committed by on-ball defenders this season is an example of John's good work. During his tenure, officiating entered a significant new phase with the growth of high definition broadcasts and instant replays. John's direct, accessible and energetic approach to developing officials and communicating with stakeholders helped usher NCAA officiating into this new era of increased accountability."